Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Authelia vs Netwrix

Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

Open-source authentication and two-factor portal for reverse proxies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netwrix logo

Netwrix

Cybersecurity

Data access governance and change auditing across Active Directory, file shares and Microsoft 365

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Authelia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider; Netwrix the portfolio is assembled from acquisitions, so consoles, agents and licensing metrics differ between products and the platform story is ahead of the engineering reality.
  • They diverge on capability: Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Netwrix covers Change auditing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authelia and Netwrix actually diverge.

Attributes where Authelia and Netwrix differ
AttributeAutheliaNetwrix
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hostedWindows, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Authelia

  • Reverse proxy integration
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Access control rules
  • Lightweight backends

Only in Netwrix

  • Change auditing
  • Effective permissions
  • Data classification
  • Access remediation
  • Threat detection
  • Group policy management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Authelia

  • Putting a login and 2FA in front of self-hosted services that have nonenot Netwrix
  • Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot Netwrix
  • Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot Netwrix

Netwrix

  • An organisation that cannot tell an auditor who has access to a sensitive file share and needs an answer with evidencenot Authelia
  • A security team reducing ransomware blast radius by removing Everyone and Domain Users permissions from sensitive datanot Authelia
  • An IT team investigating an unexplained Active Directory change and needing the exact account, time and previous valuenot Authelia
  • A company responding to GDPR data subject access requests that must first locate personal data scattered across legacy sharesnot Authelia

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Authelia

  • Depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • Configuration is YAML-first with no administrative interface, so changes mean editing files
  • Not a full IAM: user management, provisioning and federation are limited compared with Keycloak
  • Scales poorly as an organisation-wide identity solution, which is not its target

Netwrix

  • The portfolio is assembled from acquisitions, so consoles, agents and licensing metrics differ between products and the platform story is ahead of the engineering reality.
  • Licensing metrics vary by product, per enabled user for some and per managed asset for others, which makes assembling a multi-product quote unusually difficult to compare against a single-vendor competitor.
  • Auditing agents and collectors add load to domain controllers and file servers, and large estates need careful sizing to avoid degrading the systems being monitored.
  • It reports and remediates but does not enforce access decisions at request time, so it complements rather than replaces identity governance and buyers still need an IGA tool for certification workflows.
  • Coverage is strongest on Microsoft estates; Linux, NAS appliances and non-Microsoft SaaS are supported unevenly and often need additional modules or trail behind on feature parity.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authelia

Free
  • AutheliaFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Netwrix

On request
  • Netwrix Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per enabled user or per managed asset depending on the product
    • Auditing, data classification, privileged access and threat products licensed separately
    • Netwrix 1Secure SaaS console with a 14-day free trial

Which should you pick?

Choose Authelia if

  • You need reverse proxy integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want two-factor authentication.
Authelia review

Choose Netwrix if

  • You need change auditing.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want effective permissions.
Netwrix review

Questions people ask

Is Authelia or Netwrix better?
Neither clearly leads. Authelia starts at Free and Netwrix at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authelia or Netwrix?
Authelia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authelia and On request for Netwrix.
Does Authelia or Netwrix run on more platforms?
Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted. Netwrix runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use Authelia for free?
Yes. Authelia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Netwrix starts at On request.
What is Authelia best used for?
Authelia is most often used for putting a login and 2fa in front of self-hosted services that have none, adding sso across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platform, home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxy. Of those, putting a login and 2fa in front of self-hosted services that have none and adding sso across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platform are not what Netwrix is typically brought in for.
What can Authelia do that Netwrix cannot?
Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends. Netwrix covers Change auditing, Effective permissions, Data classification, Access remediation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Netwrix: Does it replace identity governance?

No. It shows you who has access and lets you fix it, but recertification campaigns and access request workflow are an IGA product.

Authelia: Does Authelia need a reverse proxy?

Yes. It integrates through forward authentication with Nginx, Traefik, Caddy or HAProxy rather than sitting in front of traffic itself.

Netwrix: Is there a SaaS option?

Netwrix 1Secure is the cloud console covering data and identity visibility, with a 14-day free trial including full access.

Authelia: Authelia or Keycloak?

Authelia is far lighter and aimed at protecting self-hosted services behind a proxy. Keycloak is a full identity and access management platform, and much more to run.

Netwrix: How is it priced?

Per enabled user or per managed asset depending on the product, quoted rather than published. Assume separate line items per module.

Share

Related pages

More on Authelia

More on Netwrix

Keep looking

Other head to heads